Ace Davis' Weblog

November 2007 - Posts

• A game changer for the ages

  Had the life and times of the late great Bill Willis received more than one twentieth of the attention given to the sudden death of Sean Taylor, there would be more justice and virtue in this world. In the few minutes I have today, there's no way I could properly represent all that Willis meant to football, Ohio State, the Browns, and society in general. Through the full force of his talents and character, he changed the game in more ways than one. For a more complete look at his life and times, check out some of the stories linked above, certainly this video, and his section at the Hall of Fame site. Just a few quick side notes: Four black players reintegrated pro football in 1946, but while former UCLA stars Kenny Washington and Woody Strode were signed as a result of financial pressure placed on the newly-relocated L.A. Rams, who desperately wanted to use the huge Coliseum as their home field, Willis joined the fledgling Browns at Paul Brown's invitation, based solely on the merits of his character and ability. And only when he proved indispensible as a cat-quick lineman did Brown issue the call to Marion Motley to come to the inaugural training camp at Bowling Green. Had Willis not excelled from the start, it is entirely conceivable that there would be three fewer Browns Hall of Famers, and their great dynasty of 1946-55 would have been far inferior. Willis was great for his entire career, but since many of the obituaries mention a single famous play, it's worth putting it into context. It occured in the tiebreaking playoff game in 1950, the Browns' first NFL season. Their opponent was the only team that had beaten them all year, the New York Giants, who did it twice. Had Cleveland lost, the legitimacy of their previous four-year dominance of the competing All-America Football Conference would have been seriously diminished. On a frozen Municipal Stadium field, Cleveland clung to a tenuous 3-0 lead in the fourth quarter. From the Browns' 36, Giants back Choo Choo Roberts found daylight around right end and had no one between him and the go-ahead touchdown. In Andy Piascik's words: But Willis angled over from his middle guard position and took off in pursuit. Making up almost 5 yards, Willis brought Roberts down at the 4. "All I could think of was that number on Roberts's back represented the championship running away from me," Willis said later. The Browns' defense held New York to a tying field goal, then took the lead on a field goal drive featuring QB Otto Graham's running skills. They won 8-3 and went on to capture the NFL title the next week in one of the league's all-time classic games. My condolences to the family and friends of one of the very greatest of all the Cleveland Browns. Posted Nov 29 2007, 08:37 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: history, obit

• Not settling for sixth

  Call me greedy, but it is now time for expectations to be lifted. The Browns aren't the losers that nearly everyone thought they'd continue to be. The re-re-re-rebuilding process is getting results. With a 7-4 record, a high-flying offense, superb special teams, an improving defense, and a weak upcoming schedule, the window of opportunity is wide open. The Browns had better fly right through it full force, because it's been known to slam shut without warning. While it's no sure thing that the Browns make the playoffs, the current probability stands at 78.8% that they do. That alone would be a great accomplishment compared to pre-season expectations. But it's late November now. Days are colder and shorter. We're all getting older. I am no longer content to snag the second wild-card spot and put the season on the line in Pittsburgh against a Steeler team that has already beaten us twice. The last two playoff seasons, that's just what happened, and, well, as Forrest Gump put it, that's all I have to say about that. If the season ended today, that's how it would go down. Muck that, I say. The difference between that sixth seed and any of the other AFC playoff slots is particularly huge this year. The fifth seed (first wild-card spot) will almost certainly travel to San Diego, or maybe Denver, two very flawed teams with records inferior to Cleveland's. The degree of difficulty is much lower there than at Heinz Field or the RCA Dome, the two most likely sites of the other wild-card round game. Additionally, the sixth-seeded team, if it happens to upset the division champ, earns itself nothing more than a guaranteed trip to New England (the presumptive top seed) the following weekend. The fifth seed at least has a chance of forestalling that matchup another week if the sixth seed wins its first game. And facing the Patriots, every little edge matters, so it's preferred to meet them when they're not fresh off a bye week. So clearly, the fifth seed, currently in Jacksonville's grasp, is well worth striving for. Like the Browns, the Jaguars' final five games include three on the road. But whereas the Browns will travel to face the Cardinals, Jets, and Bengals, the 8-3 Jags will visit Indy, Pittsburgh, and Houston, a much tougher slate. I'll be rooting very hard for the Colts to beat them this Sunday. But it's not too late to abandon hope for the AFC North title. We need to gain two games on the Steelers, but the schedule presents those opportunities. The Browns must win at least four if not all five of their remaining games. Pittsburgh hosts Cincy, travels to NE, hosts the Jags, visits St. Louis, and finishes at Baltimore. There are easily two or three potential losses there, especially if the injuries to Santonio Holmes and Troy Polamalu linger. Capturing the division championship obviously would be an excellent achievement in itself. But the playoff benefits would be especially great. Mathematically, the Browns could still get one of the first-round byes. More realistically, they would be the third seed. That means hosting the sixth seed. Keep in mind, the Browns have not won a road playoff game since 1969 and are only 2-14 all-time as NFL playoff visitors. For that reason alone, any dream of bringing the playoffs to Cleveland should die hard. Taking it a step further, assuming a division title and a first-round win, the Browns' next playoff game would take place at the second seed. That means some other team would have to face the rested Patriots. Taking on the Colts in Indy is a tall order in itself, but think of how much differently we regard the Browns now than we did after Week One. How differently might we regard them and their chances if they invade Indiana on an eight-game winning streak? And while we're outgunning the Colts, some other team (Pittsburgh?) is softening up the Patriots for us. Heck, they might even upset them. If that happened, the AFC Championship Game would take place in Cleveland Browns Stadium. And then we go on and win the Super Bowl. Easy, right? Well, not easy, but it is a worthy challenge, and it is an exciting time to be a Browns fan, and we don't need to settle for a sludgy grudge match on that disgrace of a field in that aptly-named city in western PA. We've been there already. This season could be the start of something entirely new. It's time to aim high and see where we land when we get there. Posted Nov 27 2007, 09:04 PM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: The Team Today

• Lying: a Cardinal sin

  Well, I gave them a fair shot to correct the record, but they either chose not to or their staff bungled it not unlike their team did in overtime yesterday. I speak of the Arizona Cardinals, current employer of a certain Maurice Carthon. Yes, the former Browns offensive coordinator, having embodied the Peter Principle, is now the running backs coach there. His published bio, as I explained to them a few months back, is a sloppy piece of hogwash. Actually, my language was nicer then, but who likes being ignored? Not me. I am an Important Blogger and not to be trifled with. Biographical Claim: "Carthon spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns" Painful Truth: Carthon resigned his position on or about October 23, 2006, after just six of the Browns' 16 games. That's not even halfway through the second season, so rounding is not the type of error committed here. Bitter Editorializing: We all know that Mo would've been belly-bounced out of Berea involuntarily had he not hightailed it out of town pronto. Biographical Claim: "Carthon helped tutor ... tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. Winslow finished the 2006 season with 89 receptions to lead all NFL tight ends and finish 9th overall in the league." Painful Truth: To cite Winslow's complete 2006 statistics as reflecting credit on Carthon, who wasn't even around most of that season, makes the misleading impression of his length of service all the more flagrant. Bitter Editorializing: Carthon had as much to do with Winslow's 2006 success as he did with the motorcycle accident that cost him 2005. Which is to say, Wheelie did it in spite of him, not because of him. Biographical Claim: "Carthon joined the Browns in 2005 and led an offensive unit that finished the season ranked 8th in the NFL with 1,601 yards from scrimmage (1,232 rushing and 369 receiving). " Painful Truth: Carthon's 2005 Browns' offense finished dead last in points scored and 26th out of 32 teams in yardage. Bitter Editorializing: The writer seemed to do what Carthon himself did in '05: considered Reuben Droughns the entire offense. Those are Droughns' individual stats. It was obvious then and now that Droughns was overused that year to the longer-term detriment of the team and the player himself. What kind of stats did Mo "tutor" him to in '06? Perhaps they'll add a notch on his belt by noting how well he mentored Todd Haley. You know, the position coach in Dallas when Mo was Parcells' OC there. The guy who now coordinates the Cardinals' offense while underlings like Carthon prepare to take credit for giving Edge his edge. Haley's unit is ranked 14th, though their rushing average of 3.5 is close to the league's worst. We Browns watchers are not surprised. Posted Nov 26 2007, 07:45 PM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: ex-Browns

• Inside another win

  Taking a closer look at a few plays and sequences from yesterday's Browns/Texans tilt: The Texans started the game with four straight effective offensive plays as the Browns sat back in their base defense. Once they began to apply the heat -- an untouched Leon Williams forced an incompletion, then a third-down safety blitz kept the pass underneath -- the drive stalled and the Browns held on downs. On Houston's second drive, Sean Jones made a fine tackle to corral Andre Davis a yard short on third down. Say what you will about the Browns' young safeties' problems in coverage, their tackling has been a plus. Sure, the quick-hitter to Vickers on fourth-and-one seemed predictable and came up short, but I like that Romeo went for it at the Houston 39. Prior to that attempt, the fullback was seven-for-nine in converting from a yard out. The punting was subpar and both kickers missed one badly (a sliced FG try by Kris Brown, a kickoff out of bounds by Double Doink himself), but how about that long snapping, huh? It was a stellar spiral standoff between Ryan Pontbriand and Bryan Pittman, the rookie training camp competitors from back in 2003. Nice penetration by Jones, Robaire Smith, and Gumby to bury the end around for a loss of eight. Next play, though, no inside backers stayed home, and Ron Dayne rumbled up the gut for 14. The two ILBs, Andra Davis and D'Qwell Jackson, atoned two plays later, the former forcing a tipped ball drill, and the latter nimbly snagging his first career pick. The deep slant six to Braylon was a comfortably familiar scene, but the play that preceded it -- Jamal Lewis tearing through strong safety C.C. Brown for a 17-yard run -- was every bit as beautiful. The flaw that usually distinguishes rookie cornerbacks is their lack of timing. They either get wrong-footed on routes or lost when the ball's aloft. Not so Brandon McDonald. They say breaking up is hard to do, but he repeatedly made it look easy, getting his arm in there right on time. Orpheus Roye sighting! Two straight impact plays by big 99 -- Dayne for little gain, and forcing a rushed throw on second down -- stood out in a most welcome way, especially given the nanowafer-thin D-line rotation. Don't get me wrong on DA: he's been huge all year. But don't you see him sometimes react to pressure that's not there? He can get a little jumpy in the pocket, throwing his footwork out of alignment and producing an off-kilter throw. I understood it against New England, but the bobble-footedness has recurred a few times over the past three games too. Hey, he's only 24. I'll give Big Three a few more weeks to mature. Don't get me wrong on Braylon: he's been huge all year. But for nearly every spectacular leaping grab or clutch catch over the middle, there's a flat-out drop or some mental mistake. My armchair analysis: he's too image-conscious to achieve that Zen-like focus. Really, you say? OK, so it's no news flash. But I'm marking his A grade for the season down to an A-. That 26-yard pass interference call on Daven Holly? Pure crap. It could've been illegal contact. It should've been offensive PI on Andre Davis, with possible addition to some kind of registry. But for whatever reason, the Browns aren't bound to get many breaks on penalties this year. OK, also on the penalty front, exactly What Did Dinkins Do? This has been another edition of the recurring series, WDDD? So Willie dropped a sure interception. More interesting to me was the defensive play call. The aforementioned nanowafer-thin D-line has more than once seen the big outside backer lined up across from the center on passing downs. This time, he dropped back and Schaub didn't account for him. Going backward: something to watch going forward. The weight of the Browns' run-heavy game plan began to sink in during a third-quarter drive that included five straight rushes of at least five yards. I even saw Wheelie holding off Mario Williams quite gamely. And for all the well-deserved kudos to the offensive line (did Ryan Tucker swallow Amobi Okoye whole or what?), let's not overlook Vickers. He's everything we were hoping for from Terrelle Smith blocking-wise, but with some ball skills too. Clearly the best Browns' sixth-round pick since the Thriller back in '91. What's wrong with Wheelie? Virtually worthless gaining yards after the catch. OK, just kidding. Dude was consistently awesome. Catches of 22, 21, and 20 yards in the second half were just huge. Oh great spirits, will the Curse of 80 finally be lifted? Finally, to the NFL, its teams, broadcast partners, and all associated properties: get Dawg Pound Mike the hell off my teevee. That is all. Posted Nov 26 2007, 07:23 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: game notes

• Really on a run

  When was the last time a Browns team finished a game by rushing the ball right down their opponents' throats? When those numbers were on the helmets every game? Maybe not that far back, but it sure seems like it. Today's topping of the Texans wasn't as thrilling a game as we've come to expect from the '07 Brownies, but it was energetic, effective, and encouraging. The ground attack started off slow. Seems like Chud wanted to disguise the smashmouth game plan by keeping the fullback off the field in the first drive. It wasn't until Anderson's first pass downfield, a 20-yard strike to a leaping (what else?) Braylon Edwards on their third drive, that the running game began to loosen up. By the fourth drive, the play-action pass was there for the taking, and Jurevicius took 25 yards on third-and-one. This balanced threat in turn gave Jamal Lewis all the edge he needed to patter and pound the rest of the game. The final play epitomized the entire effort: carrying the ball for the sixth straight play, the heavyweight halfback wrestled across the first down stripe on fourth-and-five to kill the clock once and for all. Complementing the rugged running was a flawless, fearless game from Kellen Winslow, whose hands in traffic are as quick and sure as a big-city cabbie who just got cut off. Catches of 21 and 20 yards up the seam were key to the fourth-quarter scores that put this game away. Derek Anderson had a good game, though far from great. Occasional inaccuracy proved less important than Big 3's ability to drive the ball through defenders into the hands of his playmakers. For the sixth straight game, the Browns racked up at least 27 points. After 11 games, they can finally say they've scored more points than they've allowed. Today, that's largely due to the best defensive effort of the season. Rookie corner Brandon McDonald was matched up mainly with one of the game's most dangerous receivers. He broke up four passes, intercepted the first pass of his young career, and added two tackles on special teams. With this high-calibre performance and fourth quarter catch, 22 has proven worthy of the jersey once worn by Ken Konz, Clarence Scott and Felix Wright. D'Qwell Jackson, returning to form after his ankle injury, and Kamerion Wimbley each created turnovers and played very well overall. The defense once again mustered multiple sacks and got play-changing pressure several other times. The catchy statistic known as "quarterback hits" was seven to nothing in Cleveland's favor. Forcing seven turnovers in the past two games has helped the Browns begin to win those time of possession battles. It's a stat that doesn't mean much in itself, but if you saw the Browns march down Baltimore's field in overtime last week and grind out those clock-bleeding first downs in the second half today, you surely appreciate the difference that a rested defense makes. Despite a few glitches (short punts, short routes, avoidable penalties), the Browns took care of business at home against a decent team. We can now safely say that they are more likely to make the playoffs than miss them. If the quality of their play today is repeated over the next five weeks, the Browns will end the regular season with 10 or 11 wins. I won't say that I predicted it, because this season has turned out better than any pre-season prognostication I've seen, but I am glad that I at least admitted the possibility. Posted Nov 25 2007, 07:52 PM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: game notes

• Duck and cover

  Sure, I'm an unabashed Browns fan, but there's something terribly wrong about this. Last Sunday, the Ravens' 340-pound lineman Haloti Ngata connected with a punch to the helmet of the Browns' Joe Thomas. Thomas was lying on the turf, having just tackled Ray Lewis, who had recovered Braylon Edwards' fumble. Ngata apparently found something objectionable and decided to bounce Thomas' head against the turf. The personal foul cost his team 15 yards, but Ngata was not ejected for this flagrantly violent act: Later in the first quarter, the Browns' Jamal Lewis, celebrating his 25-yard catch and run, spikes the ball at no one in particular on the Ravens' sideline. He too is penalized 15 yards. Though TV commentator Solomon Wilcots disagreed with the penalty, I couldn't honestly dispute that the spike in that situation was unsportsmanlike. For the game, the Browns were flagged 12 times for 102 yards. The Ravens were nailed just one other time, an obvious demonstration of face-guarding in the end zone. Today, the NFL levied fines of $5,000 each to both Ngata and Lewis. This verdict is an outright travesty that sends a startlingly poor message about the league's priorities. This puts Lewis' excessive enthusiasm on the same level as an action that, had it occurred in the stands, the street, or anywhere else in society, would rightly be cause for a criminal assault charge. The fine, to someone of Ngata's income, carries about the same punch as a $100 ticket would to someone earning $50,000 a year. Ngata should've been ejected on the spot, fined no less than $15K, and been forced to explain himself to the league office as to why he should not be suspended. Treating a deliberate, unprovoked blow to the head of a prone player as garden variety misconduct -- with a fine equal to those typically issued for taunting, helmet-to-helmet tackles, and uniform violations -- reveals something perilously close to organizational psychopathology. Posted Nov 23 2007, 11:28 PM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog

• BROWNS BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Football seasons come and go, but good books endure. Below is the most comprehensive list anywhere of books related to the Cleveland Browns -- journalism, memoir, history, biography, photography, reference and more -- even true crime and fiction. (Media guides, yearbooks, and books for juvenile readers are not included). These 66 titles are sorted by year of publication. Click the links (Powell's and Amazon affiliate) to learn more and add to your own library or to that of a fellow Browns fan. My general survey of Cleveland Browns books appears in the January 2008 issue of the Orange and Brown Report Magazine. Reviews of One Moment Changes Everything and The Best Show in Football are scheduled to appear in the February issue. Whether it’s a fresh title or one out-of-print and overlooked, a Browns book has to be a better gift than a Tim Couch jersey, eh? I update this page periodically, so feel free to bookmark it, and please send along your tips on upcoming titles, recommendations, feedback, and corrections. One Moment Changes Everything: The All-America Tragedy of Don Rogers by Sean D. Harvey, 2007 Powell's Amazon Browns Scrapbook: A Fond Look Back at Five Decades of Football, from a Legendary Cleveland Sportswriter by Chuck Heaton, 2007 Powell's Amazon Playing For Pizza: A Novel by John Grisham, 2007 Powell's Amazon Jim Brown: The Fierce Life of an American Hero by Mike Freeman, 2006 Powell's Amazon Heart of a Mule: The Dick Schafrath Stories by Dick Schafrath, 2006 Powell's Amazon The Best Show in Football: The 1946-1955 Cleveland Browns--Pro Football's Greatest Dynasty by Andy Piascik, 2006 Powell's Amazon Sundays in the Pound: The Heroics and Heartbreak of the 1985-89 Cleveland Browns by Jonathan Knight, 2006 Powell's Amazon Browns Essential: Everything You Need to Know to Be a Real Fan! by Mary Schmitt Boyer, 2006 Powell's Amazon Browns Glory: For the Love of Ozzie, the Toe, and Otto by Alan Ross (ed.), 2005 Powell's Amazon Cleveland Browns History by Frank M. Henkel, 2005 Author Powell's Amazon For Browns Fans Only! by Rich Wolfe, 2005 Powell's Amazon The Education of a Coach by David Halberstam, 2005 Powell's Amazon False Start: How The New Browns Were Set Up To Fail by Terry Pluto, 2004 Excerpts Powell’s Amazon Tales From the Browns Sideline by Tony Grossi, 2004 Powell’s Amazon OttoMatic by Duey Graham, 2004 Publisher Best of Hal Lebovitz: Great Sportswriting from Six Decades in Cleveland by Hal Lebovitz, 2004 Powell’s Amazon Heroes, Scamps, and Good Guys: 101 Colorful Characters from Cleveland Sports History by Bob Dolgan, 2003 Powell’s Amazon Kardiac Kids: The Story of the 1980 Cleveland Browns by Jonathan Knight, 2003 Powell’s Amazon Browns Town 1964: The Cleveland Browns and the 1964 Championship by Terry Pluto, 2003 Powell’s Amazon Cleveland Browns A-Z by Roger Gordon, 2002 Powell’s Amazon From Ghetto to God: The Incredible Journey of NFL Star, Reggie Rucker by Reggie Rucker and Nadine McIlwain, 2002 Amazon Brown’s Town: 20 Famous Browns Talk Amongst Themselves by Alan Natali, 2001 Powell’s Amazon Rugged and Enduring: The Eagles, the Browns, and 5 Years of Football by David Cohen, 2001 Powell’s Amazon First and Last Seasons: A Father, A Son, and Sunday Afternoon Football by Dan McGraw, 2000 Powell’s Amazon Back Home: The Cleveland Browns by Tim Graham, editor, 1999 Powell’s Amazon On Being Brown: What It Means to Be a Cleveland Browns Fan by Scott Huler, 1999 Powell’s Amazon Cleveland Browns Facts and Trivia by Roger Gordon, 1999 Powell’s Amazon The Cleveland Browns: The Official Illustrated History by Ron Smith, 1999 Powell’s Amazon Cleveland’s Browns (Photo Highlights of the First Fifty Years of the Cleveland Browns) by Paul Tepley, 1999 Powell’s Amazon The Cleveland Browns: The Great Tradition by Bob Moon, 1999 Powell’s Amazon Total Browns: The Official Encyclopedia of the Cleveland Browns by Bob Carroll, Michael Gershman, David Neft, John Thorn, 1999 Powell’s Amazon The Best of the Cleveland Browns Memories by Russell Schneider, 1999 Powell’s Amazon The Browns: Cleveland’s Team by Richard Shmelter, 1999 Powell’s Amazon Legends by the Lake: The Cleveland Browns at Municipal Stadium by John Keim, 1999 Powell’s Amazon Tim Couch: A Passion for the Game by John McGill and Dave Baker, 1999 Powell's Amazon When All the World Was Browns Town by Terry Pluto, 1997 Powell’s Amazon Glory for Sale: Inside the Browns' Move to Baltimore & the New NFL by Jon Morgan, 1997 Powell’s Amazon Fumble: The Browns, Modell, & the Move by Michael G. Poplar with James A. Toman, 1997 Powell’s Amazon Cleveland Stadium: The Last Chapter by James A. Toman and Gregory G. Deegan, 1997 Powell’s Amazon City of Champions: The Story of the 1948 Cleveland Barons, Browns and Indians by Kevin O’Connell, 1997 Amazon Browns Memories: The 338 Most Memorable Heroes, Heartaches & Highlights from 50 Seasons of Cleveland Browns Football by Tim Long, 1996 Powell’s Amazon The Toe: The Lou Groza Story by Lou Groza with Mark Hodermarsky, 1996 Amazon Deadly Goals: The True Story of an All-American Football Hero Who Stalked and Murdered by Wilt Browning, 1996 Powell's Amazon The Cleveland Browns: A 50-Year Tradition by Steve Byrne, Jim Campbell, Mark Craig, Bob Moon, 1995 Powell’s Amazon Cleveland Stadium: 60 Years of Memories by James A. Toman, 1994 Amazon The Cleveland Sports Legacy Since 1945 by Mark Hodermarsky, 1991 Amazon Behind the Lines by Don Strock and Harvey Frommer, 1991 Amazon Out of Bounds by Jim Brown and Steve Delsohn, 1989 Amazon Pressure by Sam Rutigliano, 1988 Powell’s Amazon I Went Both Ways by Don Paul, 1988 Powell's Amazon Cleveland Browns Trivia by John F. Grabowski, 1987 Amazon Football’s Gentle Giant: The Blanton Collier Story by Kay Collier Slone, 1985 Amazon Day By Day in Cleveland Browns History by Morris Eckhouse, 1984 Amazon Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, the Story of a Heisman Trophy Winner by Robert C. Gallagher, 1983 Amazon Sam, Sipe, & Company : The Story of the Cleveland Browns by William V Levy, 1981 Amazon PB: The Paul Brown Story by Paul Brown and Jack Clary, 1979 Amazon The Cleveland Browns: Power and Glory by Chuck Heaton, 1974 Amazon Cleveland Browns: Great Teams, Great Years by Jack Clary, 1973 Amazon They Call It a Game: Shoulders the NFL Stands On by Bernie Parrish, 1971 (reissued in 2000) Powell’s Amazon My Greatest Challenge by Bill Glass, 1968 Amazon Get in the Game! by Bill Glass, 1965 Amazon Return to Glory: The Story of the Cleveland Browns by Bill Levy, 1965 Amazon Off My Chest by Jimmy Brown with Myron Cope, 1964 Amazon Confessions of a Gypsy Quarterback by George Ratterman and Robert Deindorfer, 1962 Amazon Football Scouting by Robert C. "Sarge" MacKenzie, 1955 Amazon T Quarterback by Otto Graham, 1953 Amazon Posted Nov 23 2007, 11:12 AM by Anonymous with 4 comment(s) Filed under: General

• The company Cribbs keeps

  Here's a news flash for ya: Joshua Cribbs has been spectacular. Nice video of some of this year's highlights here: As Cribbs himself is always quick to mention, it's a team sport. Especially for a hit-the-seam-hard kind of runner, the blockers up front make it all possible, driving a wedge through the defenders and trying not to get flagged. They've been stellar all season long. So here's to Jason Wright, Charles Ali, Lennie Friedman, Darnell Dinkens, David McMillan, Simon Fraser, Lawrence Vickers, Chaun Thompson, Kris Griffin, and Steve Heiden. That's the current kickoff return unit. Mike Adams and D'Qwell Jackson are among the supporting cast in previous games as well. Posted Nov 21 2007, 04:46 PM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: The Team Today

• Mr. Wright

  Someone making a convincing appearance as Eric Wright's father has been posting in the OBR Watercooler. He reports that the rookie cornerback has a MCL strain that should keep him sidelined for two to three weeks, with the soonest possible return against Arizona on December 2. He also implies what many viewers suspect: the corners and safeties are being held back by the defensive game plans: As far as Grantham is concerned , he is calling a passive defensive scheme especially during 3rd downs. I just don't understand how you can have 100+ defensive plays and only call 4 a game. All the DBs want to play more man and press coverage but it doesn't happen too often.Grantham has been using alot of blitzing the past couple of games which is encouraging. In all fairness, on the relatively few occasions that the Browns blitzed in recent years, they were poorly disguised and easily thwarted. The improvements in the past two weeks are due to more blitzing, true, but also a better use of the element of surprise. Two turnovers at Baltimore were the direct result of getting to the quarterback. It's clear that the Browns' young secondary has more confidence in itself than the coaches do. In most circumstances, I am willing to give up the occasional big pass play in exchange for more strips, sacks, false starts, holds, and defensive touchdowns. More action in passing downs from third safety Mike Adams, rather than the slower linebackers, might produce more ball-hawking and better coverage of tight ends across the middle of the field. It's hard to keep an NFL offense from clicking for an entire game, but when you give them too many chances to establish a rhythm, it's not surprising when even pedestrian quarterbacks and marginal offensive lines can mount comebacks such as we've seen the past two weeks. Posted Nov 21 2007, 07:40 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: The Team Today

• One yard to go

  For those of us who remember when the Browns couldn't convert any short-yardage runs -- even resorting to a double-handoff reverse from the Pittsburgh goal line a few years back -- it sure seems like this team is vastly improved in this crucial area. And even though the defense remains very sketchy, one of its redeeming features has been its recent ability to stuff short-yardage plays. To get a better sense of this, I tallied every play this season for which there was one yard to go for a first down or touchdown, excluding punts and field goal tries. Here's what I found: Through ten games, the Browns offense has converted 26 of 40 (65%), while the defense has prevented the first down or TD 15 of 37 times (41%). So overall, the Browns are winning slightly when there's one yard to go. In these cases, the Browns run the ball 79% of the time, and they succeed slightly more often when they do (68% conversion rate rushing to 63% passing). Browns' opponents run the ball 75% of the time with a yard to go, and they too convert more often with runs (63%) than passes (56%). Here's how the Browns' ball carriers have fared: Vickers 7-for-9; Lewis 6-for-12; Anderson 4-for-4; Wright 3-for-4; Harrison 1-for-2. That fullback quick-hitter usually works, though it's never been called with goal to go. The big tailback, though, is just a 50-50 prospect to gain a needed yard. Anderson's first two runs were scoring bootlegs. The latest two, on Sunday, were the first QB sneaks we've seen from the Browns all year. The defense started the season very weak, allowing conversions over half the time in each of the first six games. Since Miami converted 8-for-8, though, the Browns have stopped yard-to-go plays 10 of 12 times over the past four games. The effort at Baltimore was near perfect: stops in both chances on defense, and a season-high six conversions in seven attempts by the offense. That follows an 0-for-2 offensive conversion rate at Pittsburgh, the only game in which the Browns have failed to convert at least twice from a yard out. Teams may be more disciplined these days when the play is in close quarters. Of the 77 instances recorded, there were only three penalties: a false start by the Browns (Steinbach), offensive holding (Gallery, OAK), and pass interference (Scott, BAL). The days of the hard count and the encroachment call may have gone the way of Astroturf, barefoot kickers, and Stickum. Posted Nov 19 2007, 10:15 PM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: The Team Today, stats

• Oddity in threes

  The Browns have now played 878 games in their history. Only three of them (0.3%) have ended with the score 33-30. All went to overtime. Two of them are the Browns' most recent wins. They are sandwiched around a loss at Pittsburgh. The third one was a loss at Pittsburgh. Posted Nov 19 2007, 08:21 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: stats, history

• A crossbar to bear

  One of the frequently-heard phrases from my three-year-old these days, as he tries to decipher the workings of the world: "Is it magic?" Sometimes I'm not even sure. There's really little more that could amplify "Double Doink" Dawson's exploits in Baltimore. What better way to vindicate the previous week's just-short effort in Pittsburgh in a nearly-identical game situation? What better way to overcome a miss from 35 yards earlier in the game (did pressure from the left side influence the kick going wide right?), or the aborted 48-yard attempt in the fourth quarter (surely it couldn't have been Ryan Pontbriand's fault)? It was a reprieve from a second-straight game of blown leads to bitter division foes. It means the Browns remain a winning team, and this season stays a decided success, even if the ride is jarring. Throughout, the officials were prone to overlook even the more flagrant Baltimore fouls, while the Browns received no benefits, no doubt. A seven-to-one ratio in penalty yards compelled the Browns to do what they couldn't the previous week: make the plays themselves. They did. Barely. Actually, the entire sequence leading to Dawson's memorable 51-yarder was charmed. Without any of the three plays preceding it, this game was lost. The "woe is me" crowd -- and the Raven maniacs -- were cued up once again. With the Browns down three points and just 26 seconds on the clock: Josh Cribbs, recipient of yet another standard-issue kickoff, powered forward with force times velocity, hauling half of the Ravens' coverage unit straight up to the 43 yard line. Dude can carry two teams on his back. A rollout called at the most opportune time, as Derek Anderson avoided pressure to his left and found sticky-fingered Joe Jurevicius at the sideline. Disaster was averted, as heat was headed for DA, foreboding a hit from behind to his throwing arm. Somehow he had the sense to step up just enough to launch a last-gasp pass over the middle. Since it was a challenging catch requiring him to leave his feet, Braylon Edwards came through for a gain of 18, barely putting them in Dawson's range with three ticks left. You know what happened next. Magic. Posted Nov 19 2007, 07:38 AM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: game notes

• Diminishing deal

  Eagle-eyed fan adogbtown noticed an unpublicized recent change to the six-year, $36 million contract of LeCharles Bentley. The injured center's deal now ends after next season, after which he would presumably be a free agent. The logical impetus for this move from the Browns' perspective, is to accelerate the cap hit for Bentley's initial signing bonus into the near term, when they have space to spare, without having to release him. to adjust to the new reality that it's doubtful Bentley will be worth the high annual salaries called for in the original deal. Bentley's motivation, it stands to reason, is to get whatever bonuses or incentives may have been added in this unannounced restructuring to avoid the possibility being released outright. If he comes back to play next season, there's still ample time to reach a new deal if both sides are amenable. If not, it will go down as perhaps the most devastating injury-related disappointment in Browns history. The recent signing of a young center, Greg Eslinger, to fill injured guard Seth McKinney's roster spot may be instructive. The silent restructuring apparently took place around the time it was determined Bentley would not be activated from the PUP list this season. The same stealth strategy was earlier employed in the case of Gary Baxter, who will now become a free agent this off-season. He played in just eight games since signing a six-year deal that included a $10.5 million signing bonus in 2005. Posted Nov 17 2007, 06:52 PM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog Filed under: The Team Today, transactions

• On second thought

  Looks like the Browns' official site is up to its old tricks, this time for good reason. My RSS reader shows a headline entitled "Dinkens maintains innocence" and the lede "After watching the film, Darnell Dinkins said the critical holding penalty he was assessed late in the Sunday's loss to Pittsburgh was not, in fact, a hold." This sentiment was essentially endorsed by Romeo and written up by one of the team's employees. But the article does not currently appear on clevelandbrowns.com. "Not posted yet" is what the linked page says, though "unposted" is closer to the truth. Methinks they fear for Dinkens' wallet, knowing how touchy the league office can be about criticizing the officials. Posted Nov 16 2007, 06:20 PM by Ace Davis' Cleveland Browns weblog

• Turnovers, not turnover

  It's Year Three of the Crennel/Grantham defense, and disappointing doesn't quite cover it. Not to throw a wet blanket onto what has been an exciting an